Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
1521 North 6th Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17102
Telephone: 717-787-5244
http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?a=128&Q=168255

Participation in the Pennsylvania Community on Transition

The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) is an active participant in the Pennsylvania Community on Transition - State Leadership Team. The PA Community on Transition initiative is a result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) established by the 1998 Governor's Executive Order, "Interagency Committee to Coordinate Services Provided to Individuals with Disabilities." The State Leadership Team is comprised of representatives from the significant Commonwealth agencies providing services to individuals with disabilities and is dedicated to fulfilling the intent of the MOU to improve coordination of services to children across the Commonwealth. In 2006, a new MOU was signed to advance and reconfirm the original 1998 MOU. Through this MOU, representatives from four PA agencies (Department of Education; Department of Labor and Industry; Department of Public Welfare; and the Department of Health) committed to "work together in supporting youth and young adults with disabilities transitioning into adult life in the achievement of their desired post-school outcomes, with a focus on post-secondary education, training and lifelong learning; community participation; and healthy lifestyles... to work in equal partnership with youth and young adults with disabilities and their families and care givers in advancing this shared agenda."

The 2006 MOU strengthened the commitment of the original 1998 MOU that provided the springboard for the work of the PA Community on Transition. OVR, as a participant in the 2006 MOU, and member of the State Leadership Team, committed to the PA Community on Transition vision. In addition to serving on the State Leadership Team, OVR representatives have been instrumental in the creation of one of the four Outcome Practice Groups. The Employment Outcome Practice Group was established to increase the number of youth in Pennsylvania that obtains competitive employment, as a result of a systematic approach to career development activities.

As an active participant in the Pennsylvania Community on Transition, OVR has been a significant contributor to the development and implementation of over 40 transition programs in career exploration, job shadowing, and mentoring, as well as developing and conducting capacity building training programs such as "Building Partnerships to Improve Employment Outcomes of Youth with Disabilities." OVR is an active participant in the 70 Local Transition Coordinating Councils (LTCCs) across the state. The LTCCs are comprised of OVR staff, educators, parents, advocates, and community rehabilitation providers. The LTCCs provide training on transition services and employment. In addition, OVR is an active participant in the IDEA partnership, and disseminates materials, experiences, models, and resources through the Sharedwork.org web site funded by the U.S. Department of Education's\Office of Special Education Programs.

In FY 2006, 5,033 youths with disabilities were served by OVR, an increase from 4,926 served in FY 2005. In FY 2006, the cases of 2,992 youths with disabilities were successfully closed, an increase from 2,819 in FY 2005 (RSA).

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